Tire spreader



M5) 28, 1929- v I G. E. WEAVERET AL 1,715,179

TIRE SPREADER Filed July 16, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 1 May 28, 1929.

G. E. WEAVER ET AL 'TIRE' SPREADER Filed July 16, 1927' s Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1929. cs. E. WEAVER ET AL 1,715,179

TIRE SPREADER Filed July 16, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fnvenZo fl flaw? Patented May 28, 1825a we rites GAILARD E. WEAVER AND EDWARD W.

KELLEY,- or sPRiNerIELn, ILLINOIS, As

SIGHORS TO WEAVER ILCANUFACT'URENG CGMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

Application filed Jui 16,

The present invention relates to certain novel structural and operating advantages in appliances for opening up or spreading tirecasings for inspection and repair purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in which'the opposed bead or margin engaging hooks or fingers will first travel directly downwardly into the space between such margins before beginning their spreading or separating operation, thus assuring a proper and suitable initial interlocking of the parts preliminary to the following separating or opening action, and also adapting thedevice for satisfactory service with tire-casings covering a substantial rangeof sizes.

A further aim of the invention is the production of a machine of this kind of imple type and form, and which may be manufactured relatively economically and operated pliance with its parts in inoperative position; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the structure,

with the hooks separated, ready for the introduction of a tire-casing between them; I

Fig. 3 is'a perspective View showing a tire,- casing spread for inspection purposes on the apparatus; and

Fig. 4 shows the different positions occupied bythe spreading hooks in the performance of their functions. Y

Referring to these drawings, it will be per ceived that the appliance includes a frame made of four, inclined, corner, angle-posts 11,

12, 18 and 14, fastened at their upper ends to a longitudinally and transversely curved support or form member over which the tirecasing 16 is adapted to be spread or partially turned inside out to'permit ready inspection of, its inside surface for the detection of faults and injuries, the rear legsfor posts and 13 being secured together by a lower TIRE srnnnnnn.

1927f Serial No. access.

hor zontal angle-bar l7 and an upper rod 18, the front legs 11 and'l l being joined together by a bottom bar 19, a similar intermediate bar 21, and a tie rod or shaft 22, the pairs of legs, lland 12, and 13 and 1 1, being fastened together and the frame structure suitablystrengthened and stiffened by horizontal endbars 2 3'and cross, inclined bra'ce-bars2 1, 2 1 itforwardly-extended foot-lever orpedal 1s fulcrumed at its rear end at 26 to brackets mounted on the back, lower bar 17, such pedal having its frontpart twisted through,

ninety degrees to providean accessible, integral foot-piece 2,7,- such lever also 'having a loop'28 around a toothed or notched lockingbar 29 fastened at its lower and upper ends to the frame members lt) and-21, the pedal being shaped to provide a lip31 which is adapted to fit in any one of the recesses ofthe locking bar 29 to maintain the pedal or treadle in appropriate depressed position, a' coiled spring 32 fastened to such lever and to the rod or shaft-18 constantly tending to rock the pedal upwardly to its limit of movement.

.At 38, the lower ends of two bent arms 34land 35, front and rear,"respectively, are pivotally connected toopposite sides of the pedal 25 at about the middle of its length, the upper end of each such-arm having a pair of spaced hooks 36, 3G integral and rigid therewith and adapted to perform the tire-casing spreading'operation, such hooks or curved fingers on the arm 3% extending rearwardly, whereas the complementary hooks of the arm 35 proect forwardly, all as is fully illustrated.

' The bent arm 34 is slotted at 37 for the reception of a laterallyurbrojecting pin or stud 38 on the end of the longer arm 39 of a-bellcrank lever fixed to or rockably mounted on therear shaft 18, the shorter arm 41 of such lever being connected'by an equalizing-linkfi to a projection {13 of a lever {it fixed to or rockable on the front shaft 22, and having .side pin 15 at its upper end slidable in a slot 46 in the arm 35, such slot, of course, being i i a the counterpart of the slot 37 of the companion arm.

To prevent-the front andrear shafts22 and 18 from spreading apart due to thestrain imposed upon them, they are connected together near their centers by. a pair of appropriately-apertured tie-rods 41 7, 17 joined together at their ends beyond the two shafts by bolts 48 equipped with spacing sleeves or margins of the casing.

spools 4t?) between the parallel members a7, 47.

When the appliance is not in operation, it presents the'appearance depicted in Fig. 1, the parts assuming the positions illustrated due to the lifting action of the'springg the downwardly-disposed, free ends of the front and back hooks 36, 36 being closely adjacent, as shown, and, underthese conditions, the pins 88 and occupy a substantially middle position in'their respective slots 37 and 46.

When it is desired to mount a tire-casing 16 on the device, the operator pulls the front arm 34: and its pair of spacing-hooks 36 torwardly, and,"owing to the link connection 42 between the complementary arms 34 and 35, this causesasimultaneous and equal backward swing of arm and its hooks, such. separation of the hooks be ng pernntted be ,cause of the pin-and-slot connections, the

pedal under these circumstances remainingthe operator releases the front arm, whereupon the front and rear hooks come together again above the gap bet-ween the borders or Upon subsequent depression of the pedal, during their lnl-tlfll, movement, allot the hooks move directly downwardly into such gap, thus assuring their effective hold on the margins of the tirecasing during their'turthcr snreadino' action. I

L if) '7 As soon, however, as the pin 38 reaches the front end of its slot-37, which will be coincident with the travel of the pin 45 at the back end of its'slot- 46, he direct or vertical .descent otthe hooks terminates, and, thereafter,

- the two pairs of hooks separate as they descend, such spreading being positively effected by the downwardly-rocking, crossed levers E39 and i l, whose pins are then bearing against the end walls oi their respective slots.

Thus the hooks automatically enter the space between the edges of the casing andv thereafter spread the casing in ample degree tor inspection purposes, as shown in Fig. 3, the casing being maintained in this condition as long as desired by the coaction of the pedal-lip 31 with the corresponding notch or the holding bar 29; r

The paths travel of the hooks areindicated by their several dotted-line positions,

as shown in Fig. l.

Then it is desired torelease the tire-easing, possibly for the similar inspection or" anadjacent portion thereof, the pedal is pushed slightly sidewise to tree it from the holding bar, and then the contraction of the pre- ,stantial separation and during their tnrt viously-elongated spring 32 brings the parts back to original position, enabling'the workman to turn the casing around its own axis for the inspection of a new portion thereof, or permitting the workman to again separate the-hooks, by hand, as previously, to. remove the tire-casing.

, From the toregoing it will beobvious that V of construction may be employed in a hand operated apparatus and without departure from the substance and essence of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Or, stated somewhat differently, the invention is susceptible Oil variety of embodiments diti'ering more orless in: mechanical details but all incorporating the fundamental principles of the new structure,

We claim: I p 1. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a support torthe tire-casing to be spread, hook-members adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mount-ed on said support, and means to inovesaid hookmembers to cause them to enter the gap between said margins withoutsubstantial sepav ration and thento separate to perform their tire-casing spreading action.

2. In a tire-casing spreader, the combinati on of means to support the tire-casing, hookmembers adapted to engage the opposite mar ins of a tire-casing mounted on saidsupporting means, means to depress said hoole members, ano in is having'loose connection with said hook-members causing them during their initial movement to enter the gapba tween the tire-casing margins without subher movement causing them to separate to perform their tire-casing spreading function.

3. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of means .to support the tire-casing, an operating-lever, .hoolcmemhers rockingly connected. at their lower ends to said lever, their upper ends being adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said supporting means, and means having loose connect on with said hook-members causing them during their initial movement elffccted by the depression oi said lever to enter the gap between the tire-casing mai out substantial separation and during their further movement causing them to separate to perform theirtire-casing spreading function. 4. In a tire-casing spreader, the combinagins withi lit) 7 ing spreading function.

tion of a tire-casing support, an operating lever, rigid hook-members rockingly connected at their lower ends to said lever, their upper ends being adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said support, and means having loose connection with said hook-members causing them during their initial movement effected by the depression of said lever to enter the gap between the tire-casing margins without substantial separation and during their further movement causing them to separate to perform their tire-casing spreading function.

5. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a frame, a tire-casing support on said frame, hook-members adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said support, means to move said hook-members downwardly, and links fulcrumed on said frame and each having a loose connection with its corresponding hook-member, thereby causing the hook members during their initial movement to enter the gap between the tirecasing margins without substantial separation and during their further movement causing them to separate to perform their tire-cas- 6. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a frame, a tire-casing support on said frame, rockingly-mounted rigid hook-members adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said support, means to move said hook members downwardly, and links fulcrumed on said frame and each having a loose connection with its corresponding hook-member, thereby causing the hook members during their initial movementto enter the gap between the tire-casing margins without substantial separation and during their further movement causing them to separate to perform their tire-casing spreading function. I

7. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination ofa frame, a tire-casing support on said frame, an operating lever rockingly mounted on said frame for movement in a vertical plane, rigid hook-members adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said support and rockingly connected to said ope 'ating lever, and links fulcrumed on said frame a'ndeach having a loose connection with its corersponding hookmember, thereby causing the hook-members during their initial movement to enter the gap between the tirecasing margins without substantial separation and during their furtherinovement causing them to separate to perform their tire-casing spreading function.

8. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a frame, a tire-easing support on said.

frame, hook-members adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said support, means to depress said hook- 7 cally without tween the tire-casing margins untilthe pins members, and means'having loose connection with said hook-members permltting the latter to be separated manually without actuation of said depressing means to allow the introduction of a tire-casing between them and causing said hook-membersduring their initial movement to enter the gap between said tire-casing margins Without substantial separation andduring their further movement I causing said hook-members to separate to per form their tire-casing spreading function.

9. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a? frame, a tire-casing support on said frame, a pedal fulcrumed on said frame to rockin a vertical plane, a pair of armsrock ingly connected to said pedal, hook-members rigid withsaid arms adapted to engage the opposite margins of a tire-casing mounted on said support, and means coacting with said arms causing the hoolcmemb'ers upon depression of the pedal to descend vertically without substantial separation intov the gap between the tire-casing margins and then upon further descent of the pedal tocompel the separation of said arms and hook-members to perform the tire-casing spreading function. V a 10. In a tire-casing spreader, the combination of a frame, a tire-casing support on saidand-pin connection with the other arm, and

an equalizer connection between said links, said pins occupying an intermediate position in their. respective slots when the hook-members of the two arms are practically closed together, whereby by swinging one arm and ts hook-member outwardly the other arm and its hook-member will rock in the opposite direction simultaneously and substantially the same amount, such slot-and-pinconnections upon depression of the pedal permitting said hook-members to descend practicallyvertiseparation to enter the gap bereach the ends of their slots, whereupon further downward movement of the pedal causes the separation of the arms and l'1ookmembers and the spreading of the tire-casing.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands. I

GAILARD WEAVER. EDWARD w. KELLEY. 

